James -wilson



lJ. WILSON'.

(No ModlQj BIN. y n

Patented June 30,1891.

fNo.'455,osz.

` JAMES n//Ls ON, 1

bottoms.

AUivrrnn STATES' PATENT Gruen.

JAMES VILSON, OE LISCARD, ENGLAND.

`elN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letter: Patent No. 455,082, dated June 30, 1891.

Application led January 18l 1889. Serial No. 296,727. (No model.) Patented in England April 3, 1888, No. 5,074, and Octoberv 4,1888,No.14,269.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES WILsON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Liscard, in the county of Chester, in the Kingdom of England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bins, (for which provisional protection has been granted in England, No. 5,074, dated April 8, 1888, and No. 14,269, dated October 4, 1888,) of which the following is a specification.

lWIy invention relates to the construction of hopper-bottoms for bins; and it consists in a novel construction of the same, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan View of my improved hopper-bottoni Fig. 2, a sectional View of the same. on the line gg, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a bottom plan View.

To each angle of a frame N, at the bottom of the bin, I attach a bearer N. The bearers l point downward, converging; toward the center of the bin, and are united at their lower ends by a frame N2. On the sides of the bearers N grooves or ribs n are formed for the reception of louver boards or plates N2, which are slid in from the outside or simply dropped upon the ribs from the inside. Spaces about an inch wide are left between the outside lower edgeof one louver and the inside edge of the next below it, both edges lying in about the same horizontal plane.`

By means of this arrangement of louvers the produce can be thoroughly aerated from below, while unable to trickle out through the bottom. The louvers converge toward the center, leaving a central discharge O. The louvers N3 are placed at such an angleas will insure the produce running freely over them when discharging the bin, thus preventing,r any residue remaining in the bottom of the bin. By making these louver-boards to slide loosely between the bearers N they may be readily removed from the outside, so as to afford easy access to the interior of the bin, when desired, or when a large increase of discharge is required, as in case of fire or other emergency. The principle of aerating the produce by means of louvers may be applied to the walls of bins as well as to their If desired, the aeration of the produce may be assisted by any known exhaust or blower apparatus placed wherever most convenient.

Below the central discharge-orifice O, I suspend by chains O or fixed by other suitable means a discharge-hopper O2, which is fitted with a main discharge valve or valves O3. The produce runs out through the central orifice O and thro ugh discharge-pipes P2 (hereinafter to be described) into the discharge-hopper. O2.' 6o

The top edge of this hopper stands above the orifice O and the lower ends of the aforesaid discharge-pipes, so that when the valve O3 is closed the produce rises in the hopper and shuts off the supply from the bin, but cannot overflow. A As the circumference of the top of the discharge-hopper is larger than the circumference ot' the ring of pipes P2, samples of the produce can be taken from it by the hand at all times. moved, or the produce may be allowed t-o run through the holes without pipes onto an endless band, screw, or other conveyer fitted underneath in a trough or otherwise.

Instead of providing one valve O3 for dis- 75 be formed in the louvers N3 but they are 85 preferably formed by the upper extremities of short pipes P3, (hereinafter called orificepipes.) 'lhese pipes pass through the louvers N2, their lower ends being placedv j ust above or projecting for a short distance into the mouths 9o of' discharge-pipes P2. The discharge-pipes P2 are arranged round the outside of the louverhopperand converge at their lowerendstoward the central orifice O, their mouths being of a greater area than the orifice-pipes P3, in order .9 5

to assist the aeration of the produce. (See Fig. The discharge-hopper O2 thus receives all the converging streams of produce from the orifices P I, as well as that from the central orifice O. Any or all of the discharge-pipes roo P2 may be fitted with small valves p, through which samples may be obtained. Vhen only This hopper can be easily re- 7o one central orifice is employed, as at present, it causes a separation of the heavy from the lighter particles, and as a result one part ot the delivery ol. the produce is inferior or superior to another part and to the average quality of the produce in the bin. This is very unfair to the receiver of the inferior quality. By providing a number of orifices P P', as above set forth, over the entire area of the bin the produce therein can be drawn off uniformly without fear of separating it into different qualities, as above described. The discharge-pipes P2 also serve to mix the produce should its average quality in different parts of t-he bin be unequal.

I claim as my inventionl. In a bin, a bottom hopper having' a series of orices for air pointing downward and inward, substantially as described.

2. In a louver hopper for the bottoms of bins, a series of louvers N3 and bearers N provided with grooves or ribs pointing inward and downward, in which said louvers slide, the top of one groove being about level with oratritle above the bottom of the other, wit'h a clear space between the grooves, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A bottom hopper of a bin, formed of louvers that can be drawn out from the out side, whereby it can be easily got at for repair or an increased discharge obtained in case ol necessity.

l. In combination with the bottom having' the central discharge-orifice O, the chains O', and discharge-hoppers O2, having main discharge-valve O3, substantially as described.

5. In combination with discharge-hopper O2, a series of orifices O P P, all over the bottom of the hopper, whereby the produce is drawn equally from all parts of the area of the bin and descends as a solid bulk, thus preventing' any ol the produce remaining in the bin.

6. In a bin, a bottom hopper having numerous pipes or conduits directed downward and inward all over the surface, open at their upper ends to the atmosphere, whereby ventilation is greatly facilitated and increased.

7. In combination with the main hopper and the pipes or vents O P P and central discharge-hopper O2, a series ot pipes P2 P3, converging downward to the hopper O2, through the main hopper and open at both ends, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing' witnesses.

JAMES \VILSON.

vWitnesses;

Gno. C. DYMoND, H. P. SHooBRIDGE. 

